Welcome
Message Welcome to the first issue of the Digital Media FX (dFX) newsletter,
covering the world of animation and visual effects. This newsletter
is published on the 1st and 15th of each month with original content,
insider news, and sneak peeks at new dFX features.

There's a
lot of material in this issue - everything from exclusive information
on The Iron Giant Special Edition to a new anime theme park being
built in Japan. So sit back, relax, and see what the power of
imagination is bringing to life. -- Joe Tracy

More
Iron Giant Special Edition Information
(digitalmediafx.com) On March 5, Digital Media FX broke news that
The Iron Giant Special Edition DVD was being released this summer.
Since breaking the news, we've acquired a few more details on
the DVD. Before presenting those details, however, you should
be provided with a glimpse on how the information is obtained
and the reliability of such information.

Before publishing
a story, we require a confirmation from at least two different
reliable sources. In this case that means confirmations from two
people connected directly (i.e. personnel assembling material
for the DVD) or indirectly (i.e. personnel working on marketing
details for the DVD) with The Iron Giant Special Edition DVD.

By applying
this journalism standard, the information published is usually
accurate and far more reliable than general "rumors"
found online. However, until Warner Brothers publicly announces
details, this information cannot be relied upon as absolute hard
facts. This especially applies to release dates, which change
often for DVDs. With that said, here is the latest information
obtained on the special edition release:

1)
The Iron Giant Special Edition DVD will be released in July
or August of this year.

2)
A commentary from Brad Bird will be on the DVD.

3)
Deleted scenes (including one where the Giant has a dream giving
a mysterious glimpse of his origins) will appear on the DVD.

4) There will be several outtakes included on the DVD.

5)
There will be storyboards included on the DVD.

6)
The few bonuses on the regular DVD will also appear on the special
edition DVD.

7) Warner Bros. has already moved the DVD release date
twice this year. July/August is the latest release deadline.

In other Iron
Giant news, here are some interesting video stats:

1)
To date, there have been over 3 million copies of The Iron Giant
sold, which is decent for an animated movie on video. Let's
see, 3 million times $19.95. nearly $60 million. Then, of course,
there are the costs, store percentages, etc. But still, that's
a fairly good amount and much more than the movie made in theaters.

2)
On May 1, the price of The Iron Giant video will be dropped
to $14.95.

Stay tuned
to Digital Media FX for further details on The Iron Giant as they
occur.

Charlie
Brown and Snoopy Statue Unveiled
(digitalmediafx.com) On March 3, the City of Santa Rosa unveiled
a $270,000 4-foot high statue of Charlie Brown with his arm around
Snoopy. It is located in Depot Park on Santa Rosa's historic Railroad
Square.

More than
550 donors from across the United States and Japan contributed
to the sculpture to honor Charles M. Schulz. The City of Santa
Rosa, the Cultural Arts Council of Sonoma County and the Sonoma
County Community Foundation joined together to raise funds for
the bronze statue, a project that had been in the works before
Schulz's death last February.

More than
$260,000 of the $270,000 needed was raised. Donors giving over
$10,000 were given a miniature replica of the statue.

Santa Rosa
Mayor Mike Martini welcomed the assembled group of dignitaries,
including sculptor Stan Pawlowski, Schulz family members, city
and county officials and Peanuts fans from around the world. Snoopy
was also in attendance.

The plaque
under the statue reads, "In celebration of the life and works
of Charles M. Schulz, from the people of Santa Rosa and his fans
across the world."

The statue
was in the works a year before the death of Schulz. Originally,
the project committee wanted the statue to be of Schulz, however
he refused saying he would only approve the project if it was
of his characters. After presenting Schulz with the Charlie Brown
and Snoopy concept, the project was approved.

Anime
Theme Park Being Built in Japan
(digitalmediafx.com) Anime fans will soon be able to take their
passion to new heights when "Japan Fantasy World," a
new anime theme park, opens in 2005. Construction is expected
to begin later this year on Japan Fantasy Word in Yokahama, Japan.
Twelve companies, most with anime connections, are involved in
the park concept, planning, and design. The companies are contributing
a total of $30 billion yen to the park. The shops, restaurants,
attractions, and rides will all be anime themed. Nihon Animation
and Bandai are two of the 12 companies investing in the park.

Update
on The Matrix Sequels
(digitalmediafx.com) The Matrix 2 and 3 are set to begin simultaneous
filming at the end of this month. Set designs in San Francisco,
where filming will begin, are almost complete. In addition, a
local casting agency in San Francisco, Beau Bonneau Casting, is
actively recruiting extras for the movie (at the time of this
writing). In addition to recruiting Agent Smth look-alikes, Beau
Bonneau is also looking for good drivers with neutral colored
cars and athletic built people with tattoos. If you fit into any
of these categories and live near San Francisco then click
here for full casting details. You will be required
to work long hours, at low pay, for the six weeks of filming.

In other Matrix
news, Carrie-Ann Moss, who plays Trinity, has just completed six
months of intensive martial arts training for the movies. Moss
and the other cast will be on location in San Francisco for nearly
four months of filming before heading to Australia where filming
will continue for up to 14 months at FOX Studios. FOX Studios
Australia is located in Sydney.

The Matrix
has a lot to lose if a planned Hollywood actors strike takes place
this summer. The costly strike will inflate the budget for The
Matrix sequels, set filming back by several months, and delay
the release of the movies for a year or more. A Hollywood actor
and writer strike will begin in June unless studios meet union
demands for higher pay and other benefits. The potential strike
has already caused numerous Hollywood productions, including Batman:
Year One to be put on hold.

Close
Encounters with the Collector's DVD
(digitalmediafx.com) On May 29, Steven Spielberg will release
a special DVD Collector's Edition of the movie Close Encounters
of the Third Kind. In many ways the DVD will mimic the special
laser disc edition that was released in 1998. It will include
a 100-minute documentary and nearly a dozen deleted scenes. The
suggested retail price will be $27.95.

Exclusive
Sneak Peek - Interview with Scott Christian Sava
On Friday, Digital Media FX will publish an interview with Scott
Christian Sava, founder of Blue Dream Studios, a new Hollywood
FX company. The interview also contains the first public information
on Blue Dream Studios original animated production, "The
Lab."

As a reader
of the Digital Media FX newsletter, you can take an early look
at the interview by clicking
here.

Thank you
for being a part of the Digital Media FX team through your daily
visits to www.digitalmediafx.com.
I hope that you've enjoyed this first edition of the Digital Media
FX newsletter and I look forward to providing you with continued
coverage of the animation and visual effects industries.

Best Wishes,

Joe Tracy, Publisher
Digital Media FX - The Power of Imagination

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